Translated by Ramona Orefice
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South Korea: Lee’s “no” to Trump and the limits of pragmatic diplomacy:
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ruled out on Friday, September 18, any military involvement by his country in the US-led war against Iran. "There will be no troop deployment or dispatch of military assets to take part or intervene in this war," Lee stated during a press conference, responding to mounting pressure from Donald Trump.
In recent months, the US president has repeatedly urged Seoul to contribute to the security of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on February 28. Trump publicly complained that he had asked Lee for "a helping hand" only to receive a "no, thank you," pointing out that US troops remain stationed on the peninsula to defend South Korea against Pyongyang. Words were soon followed by action: in August, Washington called off joint military drills with Seoul, citing Trump’s personal rapport with Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s alleged refusal to assist regarding Iran.
Lee's refusal, however, is not absolute. The president left the door open to expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae naval unit to protect commercial vessels, oil shipping lanes, and South Korean nationals, while firmly ruling out the deployment of combat troops under foreign command. It is a tried-and-tested formula: in 2020, the Moon administration extended the unit’s mission area to the Strait of Hormuz while keeping it independent of the US-led maritime coalition.
Lee’s caution is driven primarily by domestic concerns. According to an early September poll, 47.1% of South Koreans oppose a military contribution compared to 43% in favor, with opposition reaching 55.5% among voters of the ruling Democratic Party at a time when the president’s approval ratings are already declining. The historical precedent of Roh Moo-hyun also looms large, whose popular support plummeted after deploying troops to Iraq in 2004.
Compounding the situation are threats from Tehran, which has warned of "severe consequences" even in the event of non-combat support.
The episode highlights the limits of the "pragmatic diplomacy" with which Lee attempts to avoid taking definitive sides. The real risk is that the fallout from this refusal spills over into other negotiations, most notably the $350 billion investment plan tied to the tariff agreement, for which Lee has acknowledged the presence of terms that remain difficult to accept. For Seoul, the Hormuz crisis has become a crucial litmus test for the resilience of its alliance with Washington.
Valeria Picciolo
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